Vampire Academy: Love's Fangs
by Moss of Munin
Summary: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SHADOWKISS Hunting down the man she loves, Rose begins a heart-wrenching journey away from her past to confront the aftermath of the final battle and the society she was raised in. crapload summary. R&R, and please cut some slack
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Nope, I don't own any of 'em except for the ones I create. Richelle Mead's the goddess. I'm the wannabe 

I shivered into my fur skin coat, the icy wind biting my face as the dull stars lit up the arctic sky, the sun fading rapidly into the west. Spring came late up north. Siberia wasn't the vast and desolate ice berg I imagined it to be. Oh no, Greenland already won that throne, hands down. It was ironic in a way; the cold barely fazed me now. It was delightfully warm compared to the gaping hole of loss inside of me.

I wondered that after two months, this intel would actually not have me diving blindly into a cesspit of the undead. Sure, the locals at the native ice fishing village had been fervent about their claims about the "ice devils," in this area, as had the flight attendant before with the photographic memory who remembered a man matching His description boarding a plane for Greenland.

But still… Greenland?? What kind of monster hides out there? It's too desolate even for them.

Then again, what dhampir or Moroi alike would ever expect it? The winters were long with short days and extended nights, giving freedom of movement to said Strigoi. The nomadic folk that still lived this far north were widely regarded as notoriously superstitious and isolated, so their claims were written off as laughable. Not to mention that humans, no matter how frozen they are, still have blood. And what guardian would be crazy enough to track a Strigoi to an ice cube?

I grinned ruefully at that. Me.

Yes, Greenland was definitely a Strigoi safe zone. The only question was whether the crazy guardian would get out of this haven of the undead alive.

I crouched behind a snow bank, gripping the silver stake, my eyes fixed on the ice shelf cave in front of me. Two months spent hunting Him had given me a hell of a lot of Strigoi kills to add to my total, but the numbers hardly mattered to me now. It was all about survival. Primal, in a way.

Two months spent hunting Him. Two months of nights plagued with horribly familiar memories of us. But they always ended the same.

Icily handsome feature. Deathly pale skin. Soulless red eyes. And a blood chilling smile.

Two months with a promise unfulfilled.

I held back the hot tears of grieving rage and what was stolen from us.

"Control," I whispered. "Focus."

I turned my attention back to the cave entrance, now eagerly awaiting the battle sure to come after the sun vanished. I wanted blood-lust, battle-hunger, anything to thrust myself into. I needed to shake off my dangerously shattering emotions of grief, love, and hope.

It was my greatest fear. His warning. That when I saw Him, I would hesitate. A little flinch. An involuntary jerk of recognition. Enough to unhinge my cold exterior and bring out the love I still felt for Him, pressed beneath glass. And that was all it would take.

If anything could shatter the rough and hardened mask I had built up around me, it was love.

My fatal flaw. With only two outcomes, one being my death, which, to be honest, I wouldn't mind so much, the other I refused to think about. Besides, if I died right now I would be so pissed at myself for leaving so much unfinished. It was like an epic tragedy. In English I would always root for the badass villain. I hope that doesn't count against me now.

Finally. The sun vanished across the lonely landscape, but no Strigoi were emerging. Fine. They wouldn't have to come to Hell. Hell would go to them.

I vaguely realized the past months really had made me go beyond my usual recklessness and into the suicidal category.

But as long as my stake beat His fangs, I was happy.

*****************

_I flashed a beaming smile at the nerdy looking clerk at the desk. He hurriedly straightened his glasses._

"_Hello, Miss. Welcome to Missoula International Bank. How may I help you today?" he asked squeakily._

"_I would like to make a withdraw, and I was just wondering if anyone," I emphasized, "could help me."_

_The clerk positively glowed, drooling a little bit, while I inwardly rejoiced. I had forgotten the effect I had on human men, and was glad that so far this hadn't been difficult. "Golly, sure!" he replied, blushing._

_Golly? God, this guy had to be desperate. What decade was he living in, 1920? _

_Regardless, I gave him my name, flirting outrageously, and told him the account would be under Ivashkov. He informed me, in awe, that the account had an initial amount of five hundred thousand dollars, with bimonthly deposits of ten thousand, courtesy of the Ivashkov fortune. I cringed, my eyes widening. I knew that the Ivashkovs were a major royal power, but still. I couldn't believe that this wouldn't even register on their money scale as suspicious. What did Adrian think I was going to do, open a casino?_

_I got five thousand in hundreds, along with an exclusive ATM-like credit card. The clerk told me that I could get instant cash at any bank in the world around the clock. Sweet. If I had been in this situation before, I knew I would've giggled greedily at the thought of rolling in money. But that was a different time._

_I asked the clerk, quietly, if he could keep this exchange secret from any who might come asking. He stuttered that the bank maintained a strictly confidential privacy, and that the Ivashkov account existed only off the books. I sighed, knowing that it wouldn't be any use against compulsion and the guy was couldn't lie for shit, but the only way for anyone to know if I had an account here was if Adrian told them. Surprisingly, my instincts told me that Adrian wouldn't say a word about my request. I thanked the clerk quickly, and swept out of the bank, ignoring, as I always did now, the hum of spirits. It seemed that they were always watching, but had given up on trying to get me to return to the realm of the dead. Or maybe they knew that I would return without their efforts. That my road to Him would end with Death. The thought crossed my mind that it was more than likely I wouldn't return here. That my eighteenth birthday was my last. It didn't really bother me._

_*****************_

I ran silently towards the cave, picking up the speed knowing that the more time spent meant the greater chance that my cover could get blown earlier. I crouched behind another snow bank, cursing my boots for crunching against the snow and also Greenland for having virtually no good scoping places. I surveyed the entrance to the lair once more, my eyes performing a routine solo sweep over the entire area. Clutching the silver stake with an iron grip, I darted the final yards in, preparing myself for the nausea sure to come before the fight.

And it hit me hard, too. I quickly staked a Strigoi from behind. He must've been young; he didn't see me coming, before turning quickly to cut down his partner before they could raise the alarm. I covered her mouth to smother her shriek as I whirled my stake into play. She died instantly. The nausea leaving me, I continued into the lair, zipping from side to side, all senses alert.

Turning the corner, I collided into a third, my sixth sense kicking in too late. It was déjà vu all over again. I vividly remembered seeing Him get caught by surprise that last time before it ended. It had haunted me for the past weeks, replaying the scene over and over in my head, agonizing over it with guilt, and wondering about His last thoughts. This time, I wasn't the screaming bystander. I got it full on as the star of the show.

The Strigoi wasn't Him, but the same red eyes and cruel grin faced me as we squared off. I knew I was dead dhampir walking; my movements were a tad off even as I tried to bring my stake into play.

It happened too fast for even my kick-ass ninja reflexes.

The Strigoi spun and kicked the stake out of my hand, and like a flash, he was on me. He pounced as I numbly came to the conclusion that this was how it would end for me. Rose Hathaway, drop-out novice, first very heart broken, then very dead.

Ever hear the phrase 'deer in the headlights?' That was me, and I didn't even have ghosts to blame it all on this time.

I struggled uselessly against the Strigoi, my hands groping for the stake that was just out of reach. He grinned cockily, knowing that he had won and flashed his fangs.

"I can see what Belikov meant." He whispered, his iron arm coming down on my wind pipe, choking me as I thrashed helplessly. "You're a fighter. Let's see how well you do against eternal night."

My heart literally stopped as I shuddered beneath his grasp. "Never!" I croaked, knowing the fear would show in my eyes.

The Strigoi grinned again, and brought his razor-sharp teeth down to meet my neck.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: HELLLLLLLLLOOOO to anybodyz reading dis. LOL, i'm sorry, that **_**was**_** pretty harsh, no? I couldn't resist a cliff-hanger chapter 1 (im just a generally evil person that way) *ignores the flying tomatoes of frustration** ;)**

**Hehe, just needed to set up the story, so I got a nice vague plotline to work with…so I will definitelypositively stay with it : ) **

**I need something to keep me sane until this summer and…and… BOOK FOUR,*mild drooling** its sooo far away *sob sob***

**And THANK A GAJILLION for the reviews!!! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy… awww… :D**

**MOVING ON.**

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I screamed. "Dimitri!" My desperate voice cut through the night like a knife, but no one would hear. Least of all Him…or so I prayed to whoever was listening. I shocked myself. His name had come to my lips uncontrolled, and I mentally slapped myself with a cold realization.

He wasn't coming.

The thought drowned me heartlessly. He would never be the warm, loving, and thoughtful man I knew. Gone. Pain stabbed me again and again, and this time, it wasn't the plain old physical agony of being tackled by a Strigoi.

It had so much more depth.

The Strigoi looked slightly surprised at my foolish cry, shaking it off and letting out a low chuckle at my despair. I could feel his fangs teasingly grazing against my neck, as the last of my hope left me.

It dawned on me that I couldn't fight the Strigoi endorphins after the bite. The blunt thought of my helplessness. I would not be able to even _fight losing it_.

I told myself to go down battling no matter the inevitability. Until he actually bit me, I could still struggle for my soul and for all those I loved and who had touched my life. For my mother. For Lissa. For Him.

I had always secretly envied the legendary guardians who had died heroes. Not their actual deaths, I'm crazy, not suicidal, but the fact that they could claim solemnly, "We were Here. Remember Us." Now don't get me wrong; I wasn't glory-seeking or anything. Like everyone else, I just wanted to have made some kind of significant difference with my life. I wanted to leave _something_ behind.

But this. It was an unimaginable fate that I never even remotely considered would be mine. The raw fear gnawing on me; all that remained.

I understood what it meant now to die alone.

As I continued to thrash weakly, The Strigoi eyes suddenly widened, with tortured shock. He let a screech of violent pain against my thundering eardrums. I didn't have time to question this miracle. I had my opportunity for a second chance. I needed to turn the tables. Now.

Without thinking, I kicked him in the groin, the y-chromosome weakness, regardless of species, and scrambled up from under the Strigoi.

Primal Instincts that get you through. Gotta love them.

I glanced at the Strigoi, now dead. A silver stake wedged in his back.

What the _fuck??_

Still brain dead, I immediately thought of Him before reality set in. He couldn't even _touch _the silver stakes anymore, let alone wield them with deadly accuracy.

I spun around quickly to see a girl about my age looking at me with a mixture of pure bewilderment and curiosity. It was mirrored, except I probably had a look of numb bafflement at still being alive to accompany it. She swore in Russian.

"I don't know who _the hell_ you are, and I don't have time to exchange pleasantries but if you're his enemy," she said, pointing at the Strigoi, "then I think we're friends. At least for the time being. Regardless of a sense of self-preservation." She added pointedly.

I couldn't blame her. I was without a doubt the most suicidal person I knew to strut knowingly and willingly into a Strigoi hideout. Alone.

But then again, she was here too.

She turned to examine the Strigoi, prodding it with her foot. Satisfied, she pulled out her stake from its back, simultaneously tossing me my dropped one. I caught it, still dumbstruck.

"Come on," she said impatiently to me. "There's still two more."

She sprinted down the passage, motioning me to follow. I stumbled after her, my mind defrosting and processing sluggishly what had just happened.

But hey, I guess that's just a common side effect of an oh-so-common near death experience. Correction. Near-loss-of-soul experience.

I shook my head, and decided to stuff the mystery of Ninja Girl away for now and focus on not nearly losing my soul…again.

The all-too-well known nausea hit me as I entered the next cavern. Mystery Ninja Girl was in the center, fighting two Strigoi at once. She had just staked one when the other jumped on her back.

I lunged into help, staking the Strigoi quickly before he could counter having two opponents. As I drove the stake home, grimly oblivious to the Strigoi's scream, Ninja Girl sprang out of its grasp and scurried away. Damn, she was fast. Faster than He used to be even.

I had only just finished up with the last Strigoi when I felt something cold dig into my back. A silver stake. Ninja Girl's.

"Turn around." Ninja Girl commanded. "Slowly."

Now it was my turn to surprise. I twisted with inhuman speed, raising my stake to meet hers as you might cross swords, ignoring her startled yelp.

Ninja Girl swore fluently in Russian. "Jesus, You're still dhampir."

I rolled my eyes irritably. "No, shit Sherlock. How'd you think I was able to touch the stake?"

I watched her wince at her stupidity. Secretly, I was just as stunned to see another dhampir.

"Sorry, stupid question."

We were both silent for a moment, taking in each other's disheveled battle-worn appearances. Her gaze met mine, alight with the same curiosity, as we eyed each other suspiciously.

Ninja Girl's clothes were well-worn from travel. She was built a lot like me. I quickly realized the obvious. She had to be a guardian, or at least a drop-out. But from seeing her fight just now, she was more badass than any old novice or new guardian. Heck, maybe even more badass than any of the long line of female guardians I had watched fighting, including Alberta and my mother.

Scratch that, no way she was a normal guardian. Question: _Who _was she then and what was she doing here?

Despite this new puzzle, there were some aspects about her that striked me as _exceedingly _familiar. I saw the same kind of unexplainable recognition of me in her eyes.

She had the same controlled deadliness around her. Same way of being aware of everything. Same wavy dark brown hair, but it was much longer and French braided. Same deep brown eyes met mine.

Oh my God.

"Who are you?" we asked each other at the exact same time, each of us paling as if we had seen a ghost.

"Rose Hathaway."

Recognition immediately dawned on her, confusion replaced with jaw-dropping astonishment.

"Who are you?" I repeated, half-expecting what I was going to hear. There was no way in hell that the resemblance was a coincidence.

_Could it be?_ I thought disbelievingly, but after the last few months…

"Zarranza," A pause. "Belikov."

What were the chances?

My guess was dead on. Bull's eye. I had unwittingly ran into one of His sisters, who incidentally had just saved me from the same end as Him. In a Strigoi hell-hole. On my classic, tragic, star-crossed romantic manhunt.

Strange, no?

**Well, well! **

**AN: just a heads up, but while I be writing, I won't be near a computer over Thanksgiving : ( **

**and also I will most likely be stuffing my face *gobblegobble***

**Next update most likely Saturday *fingers crossed***

**EVERYONEZZ HOPE UZ HAVE A HAPPY THANKS-A-GIVING!!!!!!!!!!**

technofever: thanks!! : )

soulstealer247: completely agree with u!!! we'll see if Rose will get to go on her greedy rampage…dun dun dun

blah248: thanx!! : ) and I will do my bestest

Lucia Rayne: thanks!! yup.. im definitely gonna try to twist everything around

Anilucarddraculina: teehee, im from maryland!! and don't worry, last time I checked, im only a religiously belligerent reader

sakurablossom777: thanx!! : ) will try to update as much as possible

Lauz1: thanx!!!! :D glad u like it so far! & nice catch on the Belikov line btw. and now me lips are sealed.

Jasper Can Dazzel Me Anyday: lol, will try not be _that _evil again!! *grins wickedly*

Sakiru Yume: Srry about that :) just uploaded it, lol! glad u liked the first, and will work on making others as good (or try to!!) :)


End file.
